Oil burning heater



Oct. 12, 1937. 1.. L. WILLIAMS OIL BURNING HEATER Filed Jan. 5, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 VEN TOR. 450 L. Mum/-15 8; Mil ATTORNEYS Oct. 12, 1937.

L. L. WlLLlAMS OIL BURNING HEATER Filed Jain. 5, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 00000000000O0000000000000OBOVOOOOOQOOOOOO I I 00 0 0006 M 4 65 o Y FIG. 3 INVENTOR.

L50 4. IV/LL/AMS 22142 W iJ'f MZ ATTORNEYS Patented Oct 12, 1937 7 UNITED STATES ATET OFFICE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to oil-burning devices and, as one of its objects, aims to provide a burner which 'will operate efficiently on kerosene oil, or other'suitable liquid fuel, and which is adapted to be embodied in a heater of such form and attractive appearance as to, render the latter adaptable to household'and other uses.

.Another object of the invention is to provide an improved liquid-fuel burning device which is capable of rendering more eflicient and satisfactory service by reason of its having a laterally elongated housing, and novel burner mechanism in the housing including a correspondingly elongated wick. 7

A further object of theinvention isto provide an improved oil-burning device, of the type referred to, which is capable .of rendering more efficient and satisfactory service by reason of its having a laterally elongated housing with air directing means arranged therein to provide an air passage elongated in the direction of elongation of the housing, and wherein the liquid-fuel burning means includes an elongated wick disposed in or adjacent to the air passage.

It is also an objectof this invention to provide improved liquid fuel burning means having a wick and an 'air distributor in cooperating relation to the wick, andwherein novel supporting and adjusting means isprovided for the wick and distributor.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a liquid-fuel burning device'having a Wick and an air supply means, and-wherein novelmeans is provided for adjusting the wick and correspondingly controlling the air supply.

The invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts, hereinafter more fully described and particularly set out in the appended claims. V

In the accompanying sheets of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section taken through a heater having my novel liquid-fuel burning means embodied therein.

Fig. 2' is a partial sectional plan view of the burner, taken as indicated by line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical longitudinal section taken as indicated by line 33 of Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is apartial .transversesectional view, on

a larger. scale, taken through the air distributor and the adjusting means as indicated by line fl4 of Fig. 2.'

, Fig. 5 is a partial transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4:.

is a Partial esi elis V ew take at an end of the. housing as indicated by line 6-6 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 7 is an elevational view showing a portion of the wick and illustrating the construction thereof. 5

In the accompanying drawings towhich detailed reference will now be made, I have shown what I now regard to be a preferred embodiment of the liquid-fuel burning device of my invention.

It will be understood, of course, that the inven- 10 tion may be embodied in various other constructions and arrangements within the scope of the appended claims. a

As shown in the drawings, the improved liquidfuel burning device of my invention comprises, ,15 in general, a housing l0, and liquid-fuel burning apparatus arranged in the housing. As will be explained more fully hereinafter, the construction and arrangement of the housing and the fuel burning means are such'that heat is efficiently andeconomically produced by the combustion of kerosene oil, or other suitable liquid fuel. The housing for the device may be constructed to present a very attractive appearance, and to render the device suitable for usein fireplaces or 25 elsewherein homes and for various other kinds of service.

The housing Iii is preferably of sheet metal construction and, asshown in the drawings, both the housing and fuel burning means are laterally 30 elongated. The housing is provided with end walls l3 and i4, and with front and rearwalls I5 and I6 extending between the end walls. The housing is preferably open at the bottom thereof for the free admission of air lI'ltO the lower 35 chamber i! in which the fuel tank I8 is disposed. The fuel tank may be supported-in the chamber v H by providing the endsof the housing with angle member supports l9, or the like, upon which end portions of the tank rest and are slidable. 40 Air will have free access to the chamber I! through the open spaces 20 and 2| which are located, respectively, at the front and rear of the tank l8 when the latter is in place. If desired, rows of openings 22 and 23 may also be provided 45 in the front and rear walls [5 and i6 for the admission of air to the chamber l l.

The'housing also has atop wall 24 which may, if desired, be formed as an integral continuation of the front and rear walls I5 and I6. The top 50 wall is preferably shorter, in the direction from front to back, than the corresponding dimension of the bottom of thehousing so that the front and rear walls maybe inclined toward each other. The purpose of such inclination will'be later ex- 55 plained. As seen in Fig. 2, the housing also has what may be conveniently termed an upper chamber 25, and provision is made for the discharge of heated air and gases from this chamber. Rows of discharge openings 25 and 27 may be formed, respectively, in the front and rear Walls for this purpose. The top wall 24 may also be provided with discharge openings 28 which may be controlled by amovable damper 29.

Without describing the housing structure further at this time I wish to direct attention to the liquid-fuel burning means ll. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the liquid-fuel burning means includes the tank 58, which may be of rectangular or other form, but which is preferably elongated correspondingly to the housing such that its ends may have sealing engagement with the end wall structure of the housing. The tank may be of sheet metal, or other suitable construction, and is preferably of such width that the body of oil therein will have an extensive surface area. This is desirable because changes in the oil level will be relatively small for changes in the state of charge of the tank, and hence will minimize the extent of variation in the capillary action of the wick. The top wall 3! of the tank is preferably, though not necessarily, sloped in opposite directions, as indicated in Fig. 2, and is provided with an elongated opening in which is fitted a correspondingly elongated bushing or reenforcing flange 32. This bushing is preferably constructed with a recess 33 therein, having sloping side walls, as indicated in Fig. 2, and with an opening 3 5 which connects the recess of the bushing with the interior of the tank.

The liquid-fuel burning means also includes a burner mechanism comprising an elongated closure member 35 for the opening of the bushing 32, an elongated or relatively wide fiat wick 36 extending through the closure member, and an elongated hollow air diffuser or flame spreader 3'! in cooperating relation with the wick. The elongated closure member 35 may be of any suitable construction and is here shown as being formed of sheet metal and as having a flat or laterally elongated vertical wick tube 39 through which the wick 35 extends. The closure member may be constructed with a laterally elongated enlargement or chamber t!) which houses a part of the wick adjusting mechanism. The ends of the closure structure may be formed by upright rigid members 46', constructed of cast metal or other suitable material, and to which the sheet metal portions of the closure structure may be connected as shown in Fig. 5.

The closure member 35 may be constructed with folded or doubled portions ii and d2 forming flanges which extend, respectively, along the base of the wick tube and along the rear edge of the enlargement 30. The closure member may also have integral angular flange portions 43 which extend downwardly and inwardly from the flanges ll and 6-2. When the closure member is in position to close the opening to the tank, as shown in Fig. 4, the flanges t! and 42 seat against the top of the bushing 32 and the flanges G3 extend into the bushing recess and engage the sloping sides thereof.

The laterally elongated wick 36 extends upwardly through the wick tube 39, and is of such proportions that the upper edge 45 thereof may project from the wick tube while the lower portion A6 thereof extends downwardly through the opening 34 and into the tank I8.

If desired, the closure member 35 may be hinged to the tank, preferably to the bushing 32, by spaced hinges 41 having the leaves thereof connected respectively to the bushing and to the folded metal forming the flange 41. The hinge connection permits the closure member to be swung relative to the bushing 32 thereby uncovering the opening 34 into the tank and affording access to the lower portion of the wick. The hinge mounting for. the closure member permits the latter to be swung to the open position for the insertion of a new wick into the wick tube, or for any other purpose for which it may be desirable to have access to the tank opening. The closure member 35 may be retained in its closed position by suitable locking means such as the spring latches 48 which cooperate with the flange 42.

As mentioned above, the liquid-fuel burning mechanism also includes a laterally elongated hollow air distributor or flame spreader 3! which is arranged in adjacent relation to the upper end of the wick tube and in cooperating relation with the wick. The air distributor is preferably of sheet metal construction and may comprise outer and inner members 49 and 5% of irregular shape, which when assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, provide an elongated air chamber 5E. The outer member 59 may be shaped to form the top, back and bottom walls of the chamber 51, and the member 5!) may be arranged to form the front wall of this chamber. Those portions, of the member 49, which form the top and back walls 52 and 53 of the distributor chamber are imperforate and prevent the direct passage of air upwardly in back of the wick. That portion, of the member 353, which forms the bottom wall of the chamber 5| of the distributor, is provided with one or more relatively large openings 55 which admit air to this chamber from the housing chamber ll.

The distributor may be provided with a projecting part or flange 56 which projects generally forwardly adjacent the upper end of the wick tube and which may be formed as an integral extension of one edge of the member 49. The projecting part 56 may be-formed with an upwardly and forwardly inclined section 5! which is spaced to the rear of the wick tube to form the air passage 58, and with a laterally forwardly extending section 59. The section 5'! is provided with relatively large perforations 653, but the section 59 is imperforate and the under side thereof is engaged by the top edge 45 of the wick.

The member 58 which forms the front wall of the distributor may have the upper portion thereof bent to substantially Z-shape, and may have a doubled portion forming a flange or rib 61 extending forwardly just above the flange section 51 with a passage 62 therebetween. Numerous relatively small perforations 53 are formed in the front wall above the rib 6i, and similar perforations 64 are formed through this wall below the rib to connect the chamber 5! of the distributor with the passage 62.

The purpose of the distributor or flame spreader 3'? is to regulate and distribute the air for combustion and to control the flame so that the fuel will be burned efficiently with substantially no burning of the wick. It will be seen from Figs. 1 and 4 that the projecting part 55 of the distributor covers and shields the back and top edge of the wick, and that only the front face of that portion of wick, which extends above the wick tube, is exposed. This arrangement prevents burning of the fuel from the rear face and top edge of the wick and permits burning of the r 'member I l.

In the-soper'ation of. the burner, Lair flows'upwardly from the lower housing chamber I! and through the large openings 55 into the chamber of the-distributor. From this chamber the air flows forwardly through the, perforations '63, of

the front wall to the area in which the burning.

of the fuel is to occur. Some of the air also flows forwardly through the perforations 64 and in so doing induces a flow of air upwardly through the passage 58 behind the wick and through the relatively large perforations 60. The air flow through the passage 58 picks up fuel vapor from the rear face of the wick and carries such vapor out through the passageBZ into the burning area. a

The tendency for'fuel to accumulate at'the back of the wick and to seep therefrom is thus greatly lessened.

The burner mechanism may include a vertical screen-like member 65 which .is mounted on theclosure member 35 and extends upwardly in front of the wick tube 39 with anair passage '66 therebetween.

During the operation of the burner, air from the housing chamber I? also flows through the openings of the screen SE and upwardly through the passage 66 in front of the Wick tube. Some ofthis air may be used for combustion purposes and theremai'nder is heated by the flame and serves as a heat conveying medium to' be discharged from the heater.

Reverting now to the construction of the housing Ill, I provide means for directing the air, which is admitted to the housing chamber I 1,

toward the wick and the distributor '31. This air directing means may comprise transverse sheet -metal partition members [0 and H, whichare connected respectively to the front and rear walls l5 and I6, and which separate the lower and upper housing chambers ll and 25. These partition members are disposed above the fuel' tank l8, and are preferably arranged-with inner edge portions thereof spaced apart to provide a slot- -like opening-or passage l2 which is elongated and extends for substantially the full length of the interior of the housing and in or adjacent which the wick tube and distributor 3'! are disposed.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, the partition member Ill may be provided at the in ner edge thereof with a depending flange i3, and the partition member 1| may be provided at its wall 14. The space between the flange '83 and the wall M forms the air passage 12 which connectsthe lower chamber of the housing with the upper chamber thereof.

The tank I8 is so located in the lower part of the housing that the wick tube 39 and air distributor 31 will extend into the air "passage 12 with portions of imperforate rear wall 53 of the distributor engaging the wall HI of the partition With the tank in this position the depending flange l3 ofthe partition member also engages the upper edge of the perforated screen member '65.

If desired, cooperating means may beprovided on the housing and tank for positioning the latter so that the wick tube and air distributor will be correctly disposed in the air passage 12. Such cooperating means is shown in this instance as comprising locating lugs 15 .on the angle .mem-

'bers l8 and one or more retaining latches 1.6;

.end walls of the housing. tend to stiffen and support the partition memr member 35.

The lugs .15 may be struck up from the angle members l9 for engagement with the rear edge of the tank, and the latches 16 may be pivoted on thefront of the'tank near the ends thereof for engagement in recesses of the angle members. When the tank is in the position shown in Fig. 1, :with the parts of the burner mechanism in cooperating relation with the partition members, as

just explained above; it will be seen that the'air which enters the bottom of the housing cannot flow upwardly therein except through the passage l2 and in close proximity to the wick with some of the air flowing through the distributort 31. V r

The tank l8, with the burner mechanism thereon, is preferably removable from the housing and,

to facilitate such removal, I may construct the front wallv I501 the housing with a hinged lower section E8. The partition member '50 is preferably connected to the hinged section 13 so that when this section is swung outwardly to open the housing, the flange 73 of the partition memher will be disengaged from the member 65, as the partition member moves out of the housing.

The tank 58, with the burner mechanism thereon, can thenbe freely inserted into or removed from the "housing, preferably by sliding the same along on the angle members l9.

It will be understood that the partition member 10 and the partition member H extend for substantially the full length of the housing, and that these members may be provided respectively with flanges l9 and 8B which cooperate with the her 10. a t a 'At the ends of the housing I provide sealing and guiding means in the form of metal plates 3i whichare secured against the inside of the end walls l3' and Id of the housing at the ends of the lower housing chamber I1. I The two plates iii are of similar form and, as shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, these plates are provided with raised or inwardly extending areas 82, 8,3 and 84. gaged by the end flanges of the partition member 10 so that an air seal will be provided at this point when the hinged front 18 is in closed position. The raised areas 83 engage and close the ends of the air distributor 3i when the tank and burner mechanism are in place, and also en'- gage portions of the ends of the tank to form an air seal at these points. The raised areast l engage the ends of the tank and form guides for sliding the tank along the angle members is.

To further facilitate the handling of the tank l8, I'may provide the tank with one or more cars or hooks 85 at'the front edge thereof, by means of which the tank may be slid along the angle members I9 and withdrawn from the lionsring. The tank may also be provided with a lifting and carrying bail 86 connected to ears 8? at the ends of the tank,"

The tank may also be provided with a suitable filler opening $38 having a removable closure plug or cover 89. I may also provide the tank with a suitable indicating mechanism at for vis- -ibly indicating the amount of fuel in the tank, If

desired, the top wall'of the tank may be formed with an upstanding bead 9| which extends around the bushing 32 and forms a retaining means for oil which'may escape past the closure This retaining means prevents any escaping oil from creeping along the outer surface of the tank and resulting in a possible ac- The flanges it also The raised areas 82 are located to be encumulation of combustible liquid or gases beneath the housing.

As will be seen from Fig. 1 of the drawings, the wick and the air distributor 31 project upwardly through the passage 12 so that a flame burning to the front of and above the wick may extend upwardly into the housing above the partition member H0. The heat produced by the flame, and also the combustion gases and heated air, will rise into the upper chamber 25 of the housing. To facilitate the discharge of the heat and the heated air from the housing through the openings 20, and for other reasons also, I construct the housing with the top of the front Wall I5 inclined toward the rear wall I6. Such inclination of the front wall allows the rows of openings 25 to be located approximately directly above the burner mechanism so that the air and heat may have a direct and easy exit from the housing.

I also provide the housing with a reflector plate 94, which extends upwardly in the housing above and to the rear of the burner, and which is curved or otherwise shaped so as to cause heat and heated air to be directed toward the front wall I5 and through the openings 26 thereof. This reflector plate may be supported in the housing in any suitable way and may, as shown in this instance, be connected to the housing at or adjacent the top wall 24 thereof and may also be connected to the upwardly extending part M of the partition member lI.

As indicated by the arrows 95, some of the heat and heated air rising from the burner will pass substantially directly upwardly and be discharged through the openings 25 and the openings 28. Also, as indicated by the arrows 96, some of the radiant heat will travel forwardly and upwardly from the burner and strike the inclined front wall I5 and be deflected rearwardly against the reflector plate 94 from which the heat will be directed back toward the front wall and outwardly through the openings 26.

If desired, the appearance of the device may be rendered more attractive by providing a row of windows 9"! in the front wall I5 at a point where the flame will be visible from outside the housing. In addition to enhancing the appearance of the device the windows also enable one to immediately ascertain whether or not the burner is lighted and operating properly. The hinged section 18 of the front, may if desired, have a latch 98 for releasably holding this section in closed position.

It may be desirable to prevent the rear wall I6 of the housing from becoming overheated so that the device may be placed adjacent a wall or other structure without danger of causing fire or damage, and for this purpose I may provide a row of openings 09 through the partition member II so as to permit a flow of air upwardly through the space or passage I between the reflector plate 84 and the rear wall I6. Air flowing upwardly through this space may escape through the openings 2'! adjacent the top of the housing and such air flow will tend to maintain the rear wall in a relatively cool state.

As mentioned above, the rear wall I6 is inclined toward the front wall and it will be seen that such inclination will prevent the back of the housing from being placed closely against a wall or other structure which might otherwise result in damage or fire. Because of this inclination, it will be seen that even though the rear legs I02 be placed adjacent the wall of a room, there will always be an air space between the room wall and the rear wall I6 of the housing.

As another feature of my invention I provide novel means for supporting and guiding the air distributor 31, and novel means for adjusting the wick and distributor. The supporting means for the distributor comprises vertical members I03 which slidably extend downwardly into vertical recesses provided at the ends of the wick tube as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. These vertical members extend through notches or openings provided in the forwardly extending part5l and the Z-like upper part of the front wall 50 of the distributor, and may be provided at their upper end with an enlarged part I04 to which the distributor is connected by suitable fastenings I05. The vertical members l03 slidably telescope into the recesses of the wick tube structure. adjacent the end members 40' and, in cooperation. with the upwardly extending part M of the partition member II, support and guide the distributor.

The adjusting means for the wick and the air distributor includes a rotary shaft I05 mounted on the closure member 35 so as to extend along within the chamber 40 rearwardly of the wick tube and below the distributor 31. A plurality of star wheels I06, which are adapted to function as gear wheels, are secured to the shaft in spaced relation and have driving cooperation with the wick to cause the same to be raised or lowered as the shaft is rotated. The adjusting means also includes pinions I01 which are secured to the shaft adjacent the ends of the wick tube and which mesh with rack teeth I08 formed on. the vertical members I03. The cooperating racks and pinions I 0'! and I00 cause the air distributor 31 to be positively raised or lowered with the wick as the shaft I05 is rotated but Without the weight of the distributor being supported upon the wick.

To render the driving action of the star wheels I06 on the wick more positive and also less destructive to the wick, it may be desirable to reenforce and stiffen the wick such as by applying a correspondingly elongated metal sheet I09 to the rear face thereof. This metal sheet is provided with rows of openings I I0 in which the teeth of the star wheels I06 engage.

It will be noted from the drawings, particularly Fig. 4, that the rack teeth I08 extend to the lower end of the members I03 and also that the star wheels I06 are of slightly larger diameter than the pinions I01. When the wick and air distributor are moved upwardly, the larger diameter star wheels will tend to raise the wick a little faster than the pinions raise the distributor. This tends to maintain the upper edge 45 of the wick always firmly pressed against the under side of the flange section 59 of the distributor. Should the upper end of the wick become burned away so as to leave a gap between the upper edge of the wick and the flange section 59, adjustment can be made toclose the gap by rotating the shaft to elevate the wick andthe distributor sufliciently to cause the lower ends of the racks to overrun and become disengaged from the pinions. When such disengagement occurs it prevents the distributor from being raised higher, but continued rotation of the shaft in the same direction will cause the wick to be elevated and will cause its upper edge 45 to be again pressed against the flange section 59. When the upper edge of the wick has thus been brought into engagement with the flange section 59, the shaft can be rotated in the reverse direction and the wick anddistributor lowered to the proper-adjustment.

Any suitable means may be provided for rotating' the shaft I05, and in this instance I show the shaft as having the end II2 thereof projecting through the end member 4!! of the wick tube structure and with a knurled knob I It mounted on the shaft end and drivingly connected thereto with a pin and slot connection H5. The knob normally projects through an opening in the end wall Id of the heater so that the wick and distributor may be adjusted from the exterior of the heater housing. The pin and slot connection I I 5 permits the knob to be shifted in wardly through the opening of the housing wall I4 to allow the tank 8 to be withdrawn from the housing." A spring IIB may be provided inwardly of the knob M4 to normally hold the latter in an extended position accessible from the exteriorof the'housing. I

As a further feature of my invention I provid means for controlling the air supply, such that the volume of air. flowing to the wick and the burning. area will always be substantially proportional to the wick adjustment, and will always be substantially the correct volume of airior eificient burning of the fuel. The proportioning of the air supply in accordance with the wick adjustment may be accomplished in various ways, and means forthispurpose may be embodied in the present construction by providing movable shutters I26 and I2 I, which are arranged to controlthe flow ofair into the elongated space or slot I2. from the lower chamber I! of the housing.

The shutter I28 may be formed on the air distributortl' as aflange depending from the rear wall 53 of this member. As the air distributor is moved upwardly or downwardly during adjustment of the wick, the shutter I2I] will be correspondingly-moved to vary the cross-sectional area of the air inlet space between the partition member 'II and the closure structure 35. It will be understood, of course, that the depending flange forming the shutter I29 extends longitudinally of the housing along the lower part of the air distributor 31. When the wick and air distributor are adjusted upwardly to increasethe size of the flame and the'heat output, the shutter I 29 moves away from the closure structure 35 to increase the cross-sectional areaof the air inlet space.

The increased air inlet opening, thus provided, allows more air toenter thejchamber iii of the distributor to be supplied to the larger flame which will burn. from the elevated wick.

The shutter I2I may be an elongated plate arranged for sliding movement adjacent the screen member 65. e The shutter formed by this plate covers one or more rows of the openings of the screen member 65 when the shutter is moved upwardly, and uncovers some or all of the openings of the screen member when the shutter is moved downwardly. .To operate the shutter proportionately to the adjusting of the wick, I'may provide the members I83 with rack teeth I22 on the edges thereof opposite the rack teeth Iilihand may provide similar rack teeth I23 on the shutter I2I adjacent the ends thereof.

Idler pinions I24 mesh with the rack teeth I22 and also mesh with the rack teeth I23. The

idler pinions, as shown in Fig. 5, may be supported on stub shafts- I25 mounted in the end members id" of the wick tube structure.

When the wick and air'distributor are ad-. justed upwardly by rotation of the shaft I 05',

the pinion I24 isdriven by the rack teeth I22. The direction of rotation of this pinion is such,

however, that the rack teeth I23 and the shut- 3 ter I2I connected thereto are moved in a direction opposite to that of the wick or, in other words, downwardly to uncover some or all of the openings of the screen member 65. When the wick and air distributor are adjusted downwardly, motion is transmitted through the pinion I2 l to elevate the shutter I2I to thereby closesome of the openings of the screen member I35 and thus reduce the cross-sectional area of the air supply to substantially that required for the setting to which the wick may be adjusted.

The rack teeth I22 are'iormed over a sufficient portion of the length of the member I03 to afford the desired extent of movement for the shutter IZI. By extending these teeth to the extreme lower end of the members I93, it

. will be seen that these members can be readily the pinion I 24 and restore the operating con-,

nection between the wick adjusting means'and the shutter I2I.

To provide for lifting or carrying the device whenever this should be desirable, a suitable lifting means, such as the;,bail or handle I28 may be provided.

From the foregoing description and accom- :panying drawings it will now be readily understood that. I have provided a liquid-fuelburn ing device of compact and inexpensive construction and adaptedto beernbodied in a housing of attractive appearance. It will be understood further that with the arrangement of parts provided, my liquidfuel burner is capable of I efiicient and economical operation on kerosene or other suitable liquid fuel.

While I have illustrated and described the liquid-fuel. burning device of my invention in asomewhat detailed manner, it will be understood, of course, that Ido not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction and arrangements of partsv illustrated and described,

but regard the invention as including such.

changes and modifications-as do not involve a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. Having thus described. my invention, I claim:

1. In a liquid-fuel burner the combination of a tank. having a' wick tube structure thereon, 'a wick in said. tube structure and adapted to have a' portion projectltherefrom, means providing an air passage adjacent saidwick tube structure,

an ,air distributor disposed in said air passage and having" a part 'thereoi engageable with the wick, said distributor being movable in said pas structure, and means operable to cause movement of the wick and distributor comprising a gaging the wickand a pinion meshing with the than the pinion whereby the rate of feed of the sage and having arack slidable on the wick tube wick exceeds the rate of movement of the distributor'to insure engagement of the wick with the distributon' 2. In a burner structure, a housing having air inlet openings adjacent the bottom thereof, a fuel tank in the housing having a wick tube extending upwardly therefrom, a wick in said tube and normally projecting therefrom, said housing having an outwardly movable front and air deflecting members in said housing extending into adjacently spaced relation to provide an air passage into which said wick projects, one of said members being carried by said movable front and the other having an upwardly extending part forming a side wall of the air passage, and an air distributor in cooperating relation above said openings with said wick and engaging said upwardly extending part.

3. In a liquid-fuel burning means the combination of a wick tube including a wick, means adjacent said wick tube providing a passage for directing a flow of air to the wick, a shutter operable to control the entrance of air into said passage, means for raising and lowering said wick, and means actuated by the last mentioned means for opening and closing said shutter simultaneously with and substantially proportionately to the raising and lowering of the wick.

4. In a liquid-fuel burner the combination of a wick tube and a wick therein, an air distributor adjacent the wick tube and having means for directing air over the wick, means movably mounting said air distributor to permit raising or lowering thereof including a slidable rack, means adjacent the wick tube providing an air supply passage, a shutter operable to regulate said passage, a rack on saidshutter, adjusting means for the distributor and shutter comprising an actuating member, a gear thereon having driving engagement with said slidable rack, and an idler gear interposed between and cooperating with the slidable rack and the second mentioned rack to transmit movement to the shutter.

5. In a liquid-fuel burner the combination of a laterally elongated wick tube structure having a wick therein, an elongated air distributor adjacent the wick tube structure, means movably mounting said distributor, means providing air supply passages adjacent the wick tube including an air supply passage for the distributor, means on the distributor controlling the flow of air through its passage, a shutter operable to control another of the air supply passages, and adjusting means common to said wick, said air distributor and said shutter, said adjusting means being operable to cause simultaneous raising and lowering of the distributor and wick and corresponding proportionate opening and closing of said shutter.

6. In a burner structure the combination of a wick tube having substantially flat walls, means extending in spaced relation to the wick tube to provide air passages on opposite sides thereof, an elongated combined flame spreader and air distributor disposed in the upper part of one of said passages and extending above the wick tube, said combined spreader and distributor being movable in said one passage and having perforations therein for discharging air transversely above the top of the wick, means operable to raise or lower the wick, and means operable to raise or lower said combined spreader and distributor.

7. In a burner structure the combination of a wick tube having substantially flat walls, an elongated wick in said tube, means extending in spaced relation to the wick tube providing coextensive air passages on opposite sides thereof, and a laterally elongated hollow distributor disposed in one of said passages and having an air inlet communicating therewith, said distributor extending above said wick and having a projecting part engaging the upper end of the wick and perforations discharging air transversely over the wick.

8. In a burner structure the combination of a wick tube having substantially fiat front and back walls, a wick in said tube, walls in coextending spaced relation to the wick tube walls to provide air passages at the front and back of the wick tube, and an elongated hollow distributor in the air passage at the back of the wick tube and having an inlet communicating with said passage, said distributor having a portion thereof in coextending spaced relation to the back wall of the wick tube to provide an air passage adjacent the latter and a forwardly projecting part engaging the top of the wick, said distributor also having perforations for discharging air forwardly over the wick.

9. In a liquid fuel burner the combination of a laterally elongated wick tube structure, wicking in said wick tube structure, means providing correspondingly elongated air passages on opposite sides of the wick tube structure comprising end walls engaging the ends of the wick tube structure and side walls extending between the end walls and in spaced relation to the wick tube structure, and an elongated member disposed in one of said passages and having perforations which direct air transversely over the wicking.

10. In a liquid fuel burner the combination of an elongated substantially flat wick tube structure, wicking in said wick tube structure, means providing correspondingly elongated air passages on opposite sides of the wick tube structure comprising end walls engaging the ends of the wick tube. structure and side walls extending between the end walls and in spaced relation to the wick tubestructure, and a correspondingly elongated distributor disposed in one of said passages and having openings to discharge air transversely over said wicking, said distributor being movable and having sliding engagement with said end walls and with one of said side walls.

11. In a liquid fuel burner the combination of a laterally elongated fiat wick tube having a wick therein, means providing a correspondingly elongated air passage adjacent the wick tube, a correspondingly elongated distributor adjustably disposed in the upper end of said passage and having openings to direct a flow of air therefrom over said wick, means operable for adjusting said distributor, and a part carried by said distributor and movable therewith for controlling the flow of air into said passage.

12. In a liquid-fuel burning means the combi nation of a wick tube including a wick movable therein, means providing an air supply passage extending upwardly adjacent the wick tube, an adjustable shutter controlling the lower end of said passage, and actuating means having connection with the wick and the shutter and being operable to adjust said wick and to simultaneously vary the position of said shutter.

LEO L. WILLIAMS. 

